Author Archives: Olivia

The Enemy.

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Best thing to come out of Coventry since The Specials.

Check out the video to the new single, Sing When You’re In Love (I’ve witnessed this live at the Ricoh Arena-amazing!)

The Enemy-Sing When You’re In Love (Video).

And this is their cover of Noisettes’ Don’t Upset The Rhythm. Of course I believe it’s better than the original. Love Tom singing Blue Monday near the end!

The Enemy-Don’t Upset The Rhythm(Cover).

Lady GaGa.

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If there’s one thing I hate doing, it’s writing about bands/singers that I do not like. How I will ever get a job as a Music Writer with morals is beyond me! I’m not selling my soul to any dodgy publication. By do not like, I mean slagging them off in a way that makes me sound like a pretentious, jumped up prick ya know? I’m not like that, so why would I do that just to draw a reader in. I’d much rather write about something fantastic and exciting that makes the reader want to go out and buy the record or go to the gig. There’s enough negativity in the world, music is meant to be a happy thing. An escape. I know I sound odd..but stay with me on this.

Right. Lady GaGa. I do not like her music (however Pokerface, due to it being constantly played AT me..I like it a bit. Mainly for the “bluffin’ with my muffin” line.) but after watching interviews of hers, I can’t help but think that she is a ridiculously sweet person. I’ve just watched her interview on the Ellen Degeneress Show(I’ll put a link up!) and what she said to her was just lovely. I did get teary eyed. Also, watching her sing Pokerface with just a piano shows how good a voice she has.

I don’t like her music, but I do think that she seems quite sweet and has a good voice. Anyone who can go on TV and say they have a “donkey dick”  and can take the piss out of themselves is fine by me.

I’m not saying that everyone should like her, I can understand why people like her and dislike her. You cannot deny that she is talented. Just watch her performances with just a piano and you’ll see that she has a fantastic voice.

So many are quick to label her as “too commercial” but whatever. It’s not like she’s lip synching like I don’t know…Britney?! Will Britney sing at her UK tour or will she mime? Who knows. Who care! If she does mime, then the people that go to see her will be gutted. You’ll have spent £30+ to see someone mime. You can watch it on YouTube for free. Think about it.

I’m going to leave it there…for now. Here’s the clip :

Lady Gaga On The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Shirley Manson (Garbage)

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FINALLY! Finally there is a demo of a track by the lovely, gorgeous, talented, wonderful ,beautiful, stunning….SHIRLEY MANSON!

I love it. I love this demo and it gives me hope that maybe…just maybe an album may come out? Garbage or solo..I just want to hear some new stuff. I’ve been in love with Garbage (mores so Shirley) for…I have no idea, but a very long time. So to hear new material makes me quite happy.

Shirley Manson- In The Snow (Demo).

Oh, and there’s loads of different clips of it on YouTube, but I like the video to this one 🙂

Florence And Dev!

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Florence and Dev Hynes covering one of the greatest punk tracks….scrap that. COVERING ONE OF THE BEST TRACKS OF ALL TIME. It’s Search And Destroy by the amazing, Iggy Pop. This cover is amazing. I LOVE THE PERSON WHO UPLOADED IT! There’s two other videos they’ve put up of them singing together- check them out. The Blink 182 one is funny, they forget the words! Oh, and there’s Dev’s Galaxy Of The Lost which is just beautiful, as always.

Florence & Dev- Search And Destroy (Live Cover).

Florence And The Machine. 22nd May. Birmingham Academy 2.

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The time is finally here. I have finally seen her live. Enjoy the review 🙂

 

There’s a good chance this review may turn into some kind of ramble, I apologise. I’ve just returned home and my head is all over the place. I feel my words may make no sense, but when do they!

 

Golden Silvers are an amazing live band with some beautiful lyrics. I urge you to go see them live and to purchase their album from a record shop (I’m not a fan of downloading!).

You may know Golden Silvers’ track, True Romance. It’s a top tune. Anyway, I’m standing in the crowd watching them in awe and possibly in my own little world when suddenly about 3 or 4 screaming ladies come running in. One grabs my shoulder and I move to the side to let them in. They then start dancing like nutcases, and of course I look at them and smile. However, my smile quickly turns into an “OH MY GOODNESS LOOK WHO IT IS” kind of gormless expression. So I tug at my friend’s sleeve and nudge her, telling her to look to her side. She replies with, “No it’s not.” I of course, say “IT IS!” We then realise that I have been grabbed by Florence and she is now dancing like mad in front of us to Golden Silvers. This dear reader has made me again declare, that this is the best gig that I have ever been to!

 

After just under two years of waiting to see her, the time has finally arrived. The stage is decorated in a vintage fashion and she takes to the stage with her band. I must say now, the harp that is on the stage is just astounding. I wish I could play it. Anyway, she stands in front of the mic and blesses us all with her fantastic voice. She claims that she is losing her voice, but it’s on perfect form. There is no faulting it. Tracks from her debut album, Lungs are also played and they give the indication that this WILL be the album of the year.

 

Fan favourites such as Girl With 1 Eye, Hurricane and Dog Days Are Over (cue stage dive!) are played. The track that just made this evening a rarity was Florence inviting a group of kids on stage to sing Kiss With A Fist with her. How many bands do that now? Hardly any. In fact, how many bands rush into the crowd whilst the support act is on and dance to them? Hardly any.

Florence is, as clichéd as it sounds, a star. She has the best voice in the UK and we should be ridiculously proud of her because she is so talented. Just watching her perform tonight, you can easily see that she loves what she is doing. She may not play massive venues, and you know what- that’s fine because you can truly appreciate her talent (and the bands’) in a smaller venue. Oh, and because she stage dives too!

 

The set is ended with a cover of Candi Staton’s You Got The Love. I was hoping that she would end the set with this, and she did. There are no words.

I may be totally biased here, but crowds in the Midlands are the best. Everyone left with a massive smile on their faces tonight, and they also experience something truly remarkable.

Metric. Coventry Kasbah. Wednesday 13th May 2009.

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Emily Haines.

Emily Haines.

 

About a week before the Metric gig, I saw Morrissey live. I claimed that no gig could ever top Moz- that it was the greatest gig ever.

Oh how I take that back.

 

Coventry Kasbah is one of my favourite venues, there’s something special about it. Metric played the side room which is tiny. My favourite band in a small room, can it get any better? Yes, yes it can and I’m going to tell you exactly how and why!

The support act was a DJ, no idea what his name was. I have a hard time accepting that he is a DJ due to him playing off CD decks. He has no vinyl, in my mind this doesn’t make anyone a DJ- but that’s just me. Music on vinyl just sounds so much better. Anyway, back to Metric.

 

The band take to the stage and everyone goes rather mental, which is expected. How long has it been since they did a tour of the UK?

They open with Twilight Galaxy, with a nice little jam at the end of it. Perfect opener. Then it is straight into Help I’m Alive which is greeted by mass cheering. I never ever sing at gigs. This was the first…maybe second time I’ve sung at a gig. There are no highlights of the gig; the whole thing was pure perfection. Emily Haines is the greatest front woman around right now. The way Jimmy, Joshua, Joules and Emily come alive on stage just leaves you in awe. Jimmy Shaw is an amazing guitarist, when he plays it’s almost as if he is in some kind of trance having a fit- it is beautiful. This guy needs to be up in the list of greatest guitarists of all time.

Being right at the front, I am pretty much crushed but I don’t care and neither does anyone else in the same position as me. Tonight felt like a bunch of people who did not know each other coming alive for an hour and a half.

 

The big question, did Metric play any old songs? Hell yes! They blessed us with Empty (you have no idea how big of a deal that was!), Handshakes, and an extended version of Dead Disco. It was the encore that quite possibly made this gig something everyone will remember in years to come, even if they have a bout of amnesia. They came back and ripped the place up with Monster Hospital. Joshua and Joules left the stage for a few minutes, and Jimmy and Emily played a stunning version of Live It Out. Totally unexpected. I thought it was going to end after Monster Hospital. This stripped, slower version of Live It Out was beautiful. Every word was sung by the crowd. Emily made everyone use their mobile phones and lighters to light up the place; the atmosphere at this gig was the best I have ever seen. Coventry crowds are the best.

The only songs that were not played off Fantasises were Collect Call and Blindness (my favourite). However, although they did not play Blindness, I am about to tell you what made this gig better than the Moz gig.

 

During one of the songs, I have no idea which as it’s a bit of a blur. I think it was Stadium Love; Emily was grabbing the hands of those in the first two rows. She touched my friends hand (for the second time!), then the girl next to me, so on and so forth. But, Emily noticed she didn’t grab my hand so she stepped back grabbed my hand and smiled at me. Emily Haines grabbed MY hand and smiled AT ME. I think I died and went to Heaven.

There is no denying how much Metric love their fans and how much their fans love them. Metric have the best fans in the world.

 

Frequently Emily was complimenting the crowd, saying we were the coolest and how nice it was to see everyone looking different from each other.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one there wanting Metric to stay on stage and play every single song they have ever done.

 

The gig ended and we all pilled out. Covered in sweat and filled with extreme joy (yes that does sound wrong, I know). Walking to the bus station I shouted at my friend, as I couldn’t hear that I was never washing my hand again after Emily had touched it. A girl walking in front of us shouted back “ME NEITHER! SHE TOUCHED ME TOO!”

You can call us crazy if you want, but I have washed my hands numerous of times since the gig.

 

The morning after my body hurt, my hearing was worse than usual and my voice was rather delicate- this my friends is what makes the perfect gig. Oh, and Emily Haines touched my hand and smiled at me!

Oh, I took quite a few photos but I’ll only put one up. The photo above, just captures everything this gig was. If you were there, you’ll know what I mean.